Ode to movie theme songs—Part 4: Don’t You (Forget About Me)

If there was ever a song that could define an era, it would have to be Don’t You (Forget About Me). Featured in the cult classic, The Breakfast Club, this song would catapault The Simple Minds from a couple of New Wave pop-stars from the UK to a World-Wide phenomenon.

The thing you might not know is they didn’t even write the song. It was handed to them in a bright shiny box by songwriter Keith Forsey, who also won an Oscar for Flashdance’s What A Feeling.

But wait, it gets better. The Simple Minds wanted to turn it down. As far as they were concerned, Forsey had already offered it to Cy Curnin from the Fixx, Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol, all of which didn’t want to do it either.

Fortunately for them, their label, A&M, encouraged them to record the song in hopes to gain popularity in the US. And what do you know, The Breakfast Club went on to be a box office hit, while Don’t You (Forget About Me) propelled to being the number one song for three weeks in row in the US and around the world. Not bad for a UK band that had no leverage in America.

So, if you’ve never heard the song, watch the video below. And, if you’ve never seen The Breakfast Club, what are you waiting for? It’s an 80s classic for Christ sake.

Well, thoughts? Let me know in the comments below.